The scope of utilization of so-called non-contact type IC cards including MIFARE (registered trademark) and Felica (registered trademark), which are a type of communication devices, has been and is expanding. A non-contact type IC card has a feature of operating for short distance communication with an external communication device, which is referred to as reader/writer. More specifically, a non-contact type IC card includes a proximity type antenna (coupling coil) and an IC chip equipped with a memory. A non-contact type IC card transmits data in the memory and stores the data it receives by magnetic coupling using the proximity type antenna in the memory. While non-contact type IC cards that are designed to operate as independent communication devices have been in the main stream, the number of those that are mounted in and functionally combined with devices having some other feature such as mobile phones has been increasing in recent years.
In a device of the type under consideration that is mounted in and functionally combined with a device having some other feature, the components constituting the non-contact type IC card and the remaining components are arranged side by side. A conductive member may be arranged near the non-contact type IC card. If such is the case, the magnetic field is weakened by the eddy current that arises in the conductive member and the coupling characteristics between the non-contact type IC card and the external communication device can be degraded. For example, the cabinet of a mobile phone may be made of metal and when a non-contact type IC card function is mounted in such a mobile phone, the magnetic field is weakened by the eddy current that arises in the cabinet to consequently degrade the coupling characteristics.
Jpn. Pat. Appln. Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-298095 discloses a technique of suppressing degradation of coupling characteristics due to a conductive member when the conductive member is located near a reader/writer in a manner as described above. With this technique, a magnetic member is bonded to the surface of the reader/writer at the conductive member side. As a result, the magnetic field getting to the conductive member is reduced to consequently suppress degradation of coupling characteristics.